Uyehla kancane uNomvelo ubheke emfuleni wangakubo abakha kuwo amanzi. Uhamba eqalaza, phela uyazi ukuthi yizo izikhathi lezi ababonana ngazo nesoka lakhe, uSakhile.
Selokhu baqala ukuthandana bebancane benoSakhile. Kahle kahle ngisho umasigcozi imbala babewudlala ndawonye. UNomvelo wayedlala indawo kamama, uSakhile yena adlale indawo kababa.
“Dudlu Ntombi!” kusho uSakhile ethushuka ezihlahleni.
“Sakhile! Cishe ngamelwa inhliziyo! Uyathanda ukungethusa!” kusho uNomvelo.
UNomvelo ubeka izandla ovalweni, liqathake ibhakede. Udonsa umoya masishane ezama ukwehlisa ukwethuka okumkhungathile. Uyasondela uSakhile, amange.
“Ngiyaxolisa, sthandwa sami, bengingaqondile ukukwethusa kanjena. Waze wamuhle kodwa, umuhle ngisho wethukile,” kusho uSakhile emamatheka maqede aqabule uNomvelo esihlathini.
Uyakhophoza uNomvelo. “Ngiyabonga, Sakhile. Kodwa bengithi awuzi ngoba kade ngiqalaza ngingakuboni.”
“Bengingakhohlwa kanjani kodwa ukuzobona wena, thembalami? Phela eyami impilo ayiphelele uma wena ungekho kuyona.”
“Ngiyakuthanda, Sakhile.”
“Nami ngiyakuthanda. Nomvelo ngikuthanda ukudlula yonke into ekhona emhlabeni.”
“Ungithanda ukudlula imali?” kusho uNomvelo ehleka.
“Imali ayiboni lutho lapha kuwe, siphalaphala sami.”
Bahlala phansi bagonane otshanini onqenqemeni lomfula. Baxoxa izindaba zabo zothando ezingapheli. Ababoni nokuthi ilanga seliyashona manje. Bayeka ukugqolozelana emehlweni uma bezwa kumemeza uMaNgubane, unina kaNomvelo.
“Nangu umama engimemeza. Sizobonana kusasa, Sakhile,” kusho uNomvelo. Usukuma ngokushesha, aqubule ibhakede eligcwele amanzi, alithwale ekhanda.
“Kulungile, Nomvelo. Ngiyakuthanda.”
“Nami ngiyakuthanda, Sakhile.”
Izinsuku zikaNomvelo noSakhile kuba sengathi aziphelele uma bengabonananga. Bahlezi bekhumbulana ngaso sonke isikhathi. UNomvelo kuze kubonakale ehleka yedwa uma ecabanga ngoSakhile. Ungaze ufunge ukuthi uyahlanya ngoba umthola ebuka odongeni, emamatheka yedwa. Unina usekhuze waze wakhathala. Namhlanje uNomvelo uvuka ekhathazekile emphefumulweni, nasebusweni ubukeka sengathi ukhathele. Udonsa isihlalo, ahlale eduzane noMaNgubane ekhishini.
“Kwenzenjani, Nomvelo?” kuuza uMaNgubane.
“Ngiphuphe elinye iphupho futhi, Mama. Kuleli phupho bengimbathe ibhayi elibomvu, ngihuqe ngomcako umzimba wonke,” kusho uNomvelo.
“Lamaphupho akho asebuyile futhi?” kubuza uMaNgubane.
“Yebo, Mama, abuyile. Kuthangi ngaphupha ngigwinywa inyoka eluhlaza yangena yanyamalala nami emanzini!”
“Maye! Lendaba yakho nobizo lwakho iyashuba manje. Idlozi lakho liyakhula, mntanami. Lokho kusho ukuthi abantu abadala bafuna ukuthi uthwase.”
“Angeke mina, Mama! Angisoze ngaba isangoma mina! Ngingaya kothwasa ngiyeke ukufuna umsebenzi emadolobheni?” kusho uNomvelo.
“Ungakhulumi kanjalo, Mvelo. Abadala bazokhiphela kuwena ulaka lwabo uma ukhuluma kanjalo!”
“Angifuni ukuba isangoma, Mama. Mina ngifuna ukuqhubeka nempilo ngiphumelele. Mina ngifuna ukusebenza ukuze ngikwazi ukuqhubeka ngifunde. Ngifuna ukuya enyuvesi ukuze ngithole umsebenzi ozokwazi ukungiholela imali engizokwakha ngayo umuzi wangempela. Ngifuna impilo engcono mina, hhayi ukuba isangoma,” kusho uNomvelo.
“Ngiyakuzwa, mntanami. Ngikuzwa ngempela,” kusho uMaNgubane ngezwi eliphansi.
Kuphela amasonto amabili amaphupho engamhluphi uNomvelo.
Kusebusuku. UNomvelo useselawini lakhe, ulungisela ukulala. Umoya uyaheleza ngaphandle. Uyazibuza uNomvelo ukuthi engabe ukuphi uSakhile. Ubuso bakhe buyaqhakaza uma ezwa ukungqongqoza esicabheni.
“Vula, sthandwa sami,” kuhleba uSakhile.
Usukuma avule isicabha ngokushesha uNomvelo. Ungena ngokushesha noSakhile.
“Kuyabanda phandle. Ngiyafa amakhaza,” kusho uSakhile eqhaqhazela.
“Ngena ezingubeni ungaze ungenwe umkhuhlane,” kusho uNomvelo.
“Ngaze ngajabula ukukubona, makoti wami,” kusho uSakhile esondela kuNomvelo.
“Kahle bo usungubiza ngomakoti wakho ungakalethi ngisho ichwane la ekhaya?” kuncokola uNomvelo.
“Ngelinye ilanga kuzokwenzeka lokho, sthandwa sami. Ngizokulobola, Nomvelo, ngicela ungethembe,” kusho uSakhile.
“Mina ngifuna ukushada sengimakhelile umama umuzi. Ngifuna ukumakhela isithabathaba somuzi.”
“Ngelinye ilanga kuzokwenzeka, sthandwa sami,” kusho uSakhile.
“Inkinga nje ukuthi imisebenzi ayibonwa nhlobo ezweni lethu,” kusho uNomvelo.
Sitshele umbono wakho: Kudalwa yini ukuthi ukuba isangoma kungangeni ezinhlelweni zikaNomvelo? Ngabe wena uyahambisana nedlela acabanga ngayo?